Susan Sarandon honors Tim Curry with his 5-ingredient chicken recipe

After Tim Curry died at 80, Susan Sarandon and Rocky Horror co-star Barry Bostwick paid tribute to their generous former costar—just as fans rediscovered Curry's lemon-stuffed roast chicken, a simple weekend dish from his 1996 Miss Piggy cookbook that feels as warm and zesty as the performer himself.

Sarandon, who played Janet Weiss opposite Curry's Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, shared a photo slideshow on Instagram after his Aug. 25 death. She called him "a funny, sexy, original" and said, "what I loved about him most was his heart." She added that even while wheelchair bound after a 2012 stroke, he "continued to be so sweet and generous with his fans."

That generosity is exactly what People highlighted when Sarandon and Bostwick remembered their costar. Bostwick riffed on Rocky Horror lyrics in a Facebook post: "The river was deep but you swam it. The road was long but you ran it"—ending with "Dammit Tim, I love you."

Key Takeaways

• Susan Sarandon praised Tim Curry's heart and generosity in an Instagram tribute after his death at 80.
• Curry's lemon-stuffed roast chicken comes from In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy (1996), with proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels.
• The recipe uses a butter-shallot-garlic-herb sauce and three lemons for a four-serving roast dinner.
• Curry's joy on screen—in Rocky Horror, Clue, and It—made following his performances "always a delight," as The Atlantic noted.

Why Is Susan Sarandon Remembering Tim Curry Now?

Curry died peacefully at his Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, home on Aug. 25, 2026, his representatives confirmed. Sarandon's tribute arrived as castmates, Broadway performers, and fans worldwide mourned the English actor whose villains were impossible to hate because he visibly loved playing them.

As The Atlantic wrote, watching Tim Curry have fun was itself the most fun thing about his work. Whether as Frank-N-Furter, Clue's butler Wadsworth, or Pennywise in It, he invited audiences into the merriment. For more on how Hollywood is reacting, see our Celebrity Breaking News coverage.

What Is Tim Curry's 5-Ingredient Lemon-Stuffed Chicken?

Curry contributed a Lemon-Stuffed Roasted Chicken to In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy, a 1996 cookbook whose proceeds benefited Meals on Wheels. Miss Piggy called him a "debonair actor and charismatic performer"; Curry often joked about his Treasure Island "fling" with the Muppet.

The dish is built around a five-part butter sauce—melted butter, minced shallot, minced garlic, dried tarragon or thyme, and black pepper—spooned over a 3-pound bird stuffed with pricked, halved lemons. Allrecipes describes the result as "zesty but comfortingly warm, much like the actor himself."

How Do You Make Tim Curry's Roast Chicken at Home?

Line a roasting pan with foil, add a rack, and preheat the oven to 425°F. Combine the butter sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat until blended. Season a 3-pound chicken cavity with herbs, salt, and pepper, then stuff it with two fork-pricked lemon halves.

Slice a third lemon and lay the rounds over the chicken. Spoon sauce on top and roast 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 325°F and roast about 45 minutes more, basting with sauce and pan juices every 15 minutes until thigh meat reaches 180°F. Rest up to 10 minutes, carve, and serve with pan juices, roasted vegetables, or a garden salad—and, as the recipe suggests, a toast to the late performer.

Why Does This Recipe Matter Beyond the Kitchen?

Curry's cookbook contribution captures a softer side of a performer The Atlantic remembered for palpable glee—from Wadsworth's nearly 10-minute Clue monologue to Frank-N-Furter's fearless strangeness. Sarandon's words about his heart echo that same warmth.

For fans pairing a movie marathon with dinner, this chicken offers a tangible way to remember a singular talent. As Sarandon signed her post: "Thank you Tim for meaning so much to so many people. Love you, S."